Eight Bugatti Veyrons Still Available, Chiron Development to Start Soon

The Bugatti Veyron, one of the world’s mightiest supercars, is nearing its end after Bugatti boss Wolfgang Durheimer told CAR that only eight examples of the iconic supercar remain unsold. It’s been a great run for the car still considered as the pinnacle of automotive engineering and once the remaining eight units are sold, Bugatti will immediately transition into the development phase of the Veyron’s successor, which is reportedly named Chiron.

Apparently, the word “downtime” is a foreign concept to Bugatti. According to Durheimer, as soon as production for the Veyron stops, the company will immediately shift its attention to preparing “the pre-series cars to support the launch of the next car.”

Durheimer’s comment is the latest indication that the Chiron is going to be launched sometime next year, though Bugatti has stopped short of actually confirming that course of action. What’s clear is that the French automaker is not going to be sitting on idle time and bask in the adulation of the Veyron as its rivals beef up their own Bugatti slayers. Durheimer has made it known that the company is preparing earnestly for the successor with the goal of repelling any sort of competition for the title of "world’s fastest production car," including in his own words, “one crazy American that wants to beat us.”

You know Bugatti’s taking that record seriously when it’s openly acknowledging the competition coming from American tuner Hennessey. On a related noted, Durheimer calling Hennessey "crazy" is probably the most flattering backhanded compliment John Hennessey and the equally bonkers Venom GT will ever get from the esteemed French automaker.

You should start preparing for a huge 2015 from Bugatti. It’s likely the last year we’ll see the Veyron for sale and the first year we will see the Chiron in the flesh. That, in a nutshell, is how you do a seamless transition.

Click past the jump to read more about the Bugatti Chiron.

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Why it matters

The world record for fastest production car has a handful of contenders, even though most people still regard the Bugatti Veyron as the overlord to that title. But if Bugatti wants to keep Hennessey, Koenigsegg, or whatever start-up from creeping into that conversation, it’s going to have to cover all of its bases in the development of the Chiron. That’s a task far easier said than done, but if there’s an automaker that’s up to it, it’s Bugatti.

That’s a big reason why next year is shaping up to be an eventful one for those looking to take the crown from Bugatti. With the Veyron’s production ending, the French automaker won’t have any car to line up against these mental exotics. We know it’s going to be the Chiron, sooner or later, but the specific timetable for that bad boy is still unclear. That could be the opening cars like the One:1 and the Venom need to usurp and strike Bugatti’s name from the record books.

But let’s be clear. The Chiron is coming, and once Bugatti’s done with its development, it’ll only be a matter of time before the French automaker reclaims its title and once again sets the bar that all other exotics will measure themselves against.

Much has been said about the Chiron, including Bugatti’s plan to build a largely new model that will only have close to eight percent in carryover parts from the Veyron. That already includes the latter’s W-16, quad-turbocharged engine, which will be updated to accommodate as much as 1,500 horsepower and 1,100 pound-feet of torque.

You don’t need to be a math genius to figure out that those numbers are ridiculous, even for the lofty standards set by the Veyron. If the Chiron does get that much power, the car could cover the 0-to-62-mph sprint in just under 2.5 seconds while also achieving a top speed of 288 mph.

In addition to its insane performance numbers, the Chiron is also expected to feature some design cues taken from its predecessor. If the recent bout of spy photos of the future supercar are any indication, the Chiron could have a shape similar to the Veyron, particularly the swooping haunches and the mid-engine design of its predecessor. The familiar Bugatti grille is also likely to make its way into the Chiron, as well as enough air intakes to help give that massive W-16 engine a nice, cooling breeze.

Kirby’s first exposure into the world of automobiles happened when he caught Knight Rider on television as a five-year old boy. David Hasselhoff didn’t leave much of an impression on him (that happened later on in Baywatch), but KITT certainly did. To this day, Kirby remains convinced that he will one day own a car with the same ‘spirit’ as the original KITT (not the 2008 monstrosity). He doesn't know when that will be, but until then, he’s committed to expressing his love for KITT, and all cars for that matter, here at TopSpeed.
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